1999: The Year in Heavy Metal Music
Contents
A look back at the year 1999 in heavy metal music, including the top albums and songs of the year.
Introduction
The year 1999 was an important one for heavy metal music. Several bands that had been inactive for years made their comeback, including Black Sabbath, which released its first album in seventeen years. Many of the genre’s biggest stars released new albums, including Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Pantera. This was also the year that nu-metal began to take off, with bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park achieving mainstream success.
It was a truly eventful year for heavy metal music, and one that is sure to be remembered for years to come.
Best Albums of 1999
1999 was a great year for heavy metal music. There were a lot of great albums released that year. In this article, we will be discussing the best albums of 1999. These are the albums that are considered to be the best of the best from that year.
Slipknot – Slipknot
Slipknot’s self-titled debut is a searing, fist-in-the-air mission statement from a band that had anything and everything to prove. Emerging from the same Midwestern metal underground that spawned labelmates Stone Sour, Slipknot wore their influences on their sleeves – and their faces, thanks to those now-iconic home-made masks. But what truly set them apart was the way they took all of those disparate elements (death metal, thrash, industrial) and forged them into something unique and definitively their own. The result was an album that absolutely floored fans and critics alike, with its brutal onslaught of riffs, rhythms and sheer intensity. It also made Slipknot one of the most talked-about bands in metal – and one of the few that could truly lay claim to the title of “gamechangers.”
System of a Down – Toxicity
System of a Down’s “Toxicity” is widely considered one of the best metal albums of 1999. The record features a mix of thrash, death metal, and nu metal influences, resulting in a sound that is both aggressive and catchy. The album’s lyrics tackle a variety of topics, including social injustice, drug addiction, and war. “Toxicity” was a commercial success, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Tool – Lateralus
Tool’s long-awaited third album, Lateralus, was finally released in May 2001, after a waits of four-and-a-half years. The band had spent two years touring behind Ænima before finally taking a break to focus on writing and recording. Lateralus was well worth the wait, as it found the band expanding its sound and song structures even further than before. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the first Tool album to do so.
Best Songs of 1999
1999 was a great year for heavy metal music. Some of the best songs of the year were released by Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera. These songs were heavy, fast, and aggressive. They were the perfect songs to headbang to. Let’s take a look at some of the best songs of 1999.
Slipknot – “Spit It Out”
Slipknot’s “Spit It Out” was one of the defining songs of 1999, helping to propel the band to the forefront of the metal world. The song’s mix of aggression and catchy hooks made it a favorite among metalheads, and its accompanying video was an instant classic, cementing Slipknot’s place in metal history.
System of a Down – “Chop Suey!”
System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” was the band’s breakout hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and #15 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The song’s signature riff was ranked #43 on Guitar World’s list of the 100 Greatest Riffs of All Time.
Tool – “Schism”
“Schism” is a song by American rock band Tool. It was released as the first single from their third studio album, Lateralus (2001), on August 7, 2001. The song was a commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart and number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards.
The song is in 4/4 time signature and alternates between two chords, A5 and D5, with occasional forays into other chords such as C5, G5, and E5. The opening riff is played with a pick scraped across the strings of an electric guitar, which creates a “rattle” sound. The following riff is played with palm-muted downstrokes on an Electric guitar tuned to Drop-D. The chorus features the same riff played with an overdriven sound and harmonics.
Conclusion
As 1999 came to a close, it was clear that the metal scene had undergone a major shift. The nu metal explosion had changed the landscape completely, with a new breed of bands rising to the top of the heap. But not everyone was happy with the new direction that metal was taking. Traditionalists bemoaned the fact that metal was becoming too soft, too commercialized, and too focused on image over substance.
Regardless of where you stand on the nu metal debate, there’s no denying that it was a defining year for heavy music. From Slipknot’s breakthrough debut to Ministry’s final album, 1999 was a year that saw metal push boundaries and redefine itself for a new generation.
